October 15, 2009

Miss Perfection...

(NOTE: I am attempting to record more everyday "things" about my kids, even if there isn't a photo to go along (GASP...sherelle always has a photo on every post!). So forgive me if I start recording lots of random things about my kids, but these are things I want to remember)

I have and obsessive oldest daughter...she wants everything to go just as planned (don't know where she got that from ;) School is extremely important to her (I always did good in school, but never really worried much about it). She has big plans for herself and straight A's. After being out of school for 2 weeks for potato harvest, she went back on Monday. She came home and straight in the door with the look of death on her face. "Mom, we need to talk". I was worried...afraid that someone had hurt her feelings etc. She started to talk and tears were swelling from her eyes and soon running down her cheeks. She went on to explain that she had taken the Star Reading Diagnostic Report Test before harvest, and that she had just done awful. She said there were several words that she just couldn't read, and that they had given her the test results that day. She cried and cried, telling me that she used to be smart, and she didn't know what had happened to her. She said that she felt so stupid because she couldn't read the big words, and that her test results were bad. I felt really sorry for her, but I explained to her that there was nothing she could do about it. A reading test is not something that she could have studied for, and that it was only meant to help place her so that she knew what material she should be reading. She was still frustrated and I comforted her about it the rest of the evening. When homework time rolled around, she got out her folder and happened to mention that they had sent the test results home. She pulled that paper out and handed it to me with a sick look on her face. My eyes about popped out of my head when I read the results. She scored a 98% (which means she reads better than 98% of kids her age), and she was placed at a level 6.3 (which means sixth grade, third month)...and she is only in third grade (and one of the latest birthdays in the grade I might add). I tried to explain to her that she had done excellent...but she just couldn't believe me, because she had missed several really hard words. I am so proud of her...but I do hope she chills out a bit!

Tonight, we were reviewing all of her vocabulary, math, reading and spelling for testing tomorrow (Friday is testing day), and after we were finished, she said "Mom, I just hate Fridays. It stresses me out. When I am sitting at my desk waiting for the test to be handed out, I have butterflies in my stomach so bad, that if I put my hand on my belly, you can feel them flying around in there".

I had to giggle when the 98% came out. Poor sweet thing. Our Bible study this week was about perfection, and it is something I struggle with too. Love this post though, it's so important to capture these things when they happen picture or not!

Oh dear what a worrier. It sounds like she is a wonderful student. Perfectionism can be a difficult curse!! Sometimes we have to catch the "random" things in our families' lives so we'll forgive you for not posting pictures on all of your posts.